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PM Rycroft: So, you guys were in a vampire club, the Wine and Roses. Well, it's run by vampires. PM Rycroft: You were chatting with Mr. Benedict, of the Benedict Family of vampires. PM Josie: Tell me about this curse. PM Rycroft: Benedict: The Curse of Sores? Pretty much as it sounds. Sores open up on your body. Unhealable. The idea is that you just don't die, but you die in a lot of pain. PM Nilani: Eesh. PM | Edited 4:22:01 PM Josie: So it's fatal normally. PM Rycroft: Benedict: To a human, yes. But to an immortal? No. PM Rycroft: Benedict: There's another curse, though, one specific to vampires, one that makes them unable to feed. PM Josie: So he probably has *two* curses? PM Josie: ... do you just... collect them over time? PM Nilani: Well, unless they're actually removed, I don't think they really cease being in effect. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Did you know that the longer you live, your chances of being trapped forever increase? Someone in the Council crunched the numbers in a study -- an immortal has almost a 100% chance of being trapped somewhere, forever. In a cave in, falling down a ravine, et cetera. PM Josie: ... I think I'd start carrying a stake or something. PM Josie: That's awful. PM Rafe: It would make me reconsider some of my more adventurous habits. PM Rycroft: Benedict: In a similar vein, in the world that we live in? The longer you live in our world, the more your chances of being cursed increase. And your friend is right, one can carry many curses. PM Josie: And they can't *ever* be removed? PM Rycroft: Benedict: Oh, they can. I know of several entrepreneurs who do good business specialzing in curse removal. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Crispin was cursed in the War, but there's no saying he didn't get cursed before that, too. PM Rycroft: Benedict: he might have many curses, for all we know. PM Rafe: ...you'd make a terrible salesman for immortality. PM Rycroft: Benedict: It's not for everyone. PM Rycroft: Benedict: The Curse of Broken Fangs -- the curse that makes it so that a vampire cannot feed -- is horrible, but not incurable. PM Rycroft: Benedict: ... a vampire cannot starve to death. PM Josie: ... you sound perfectly sensible to me. And being a vampire sounds perfectly awful. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Oh, if you're careful, it can be quite rewarding and profitable. PM Rafe: Fun? PM Rycroft: Benedict: Oh yes. PM Rafe: Hmmm... maybe you're not so bad a salesman. PM Rafe: Rafe grins. PM Rycroft: Benedict: But not for everyone. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Anyway, as I was saying. We cannot starve to death from lack of blood. Without blood, we lose our powers, our strengths, and eventually the ability to move. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Some bloodlines go mad if they don't have enough blood. Some become shambling mummies. PM Josie: Ugh. PM Rycroft: Benedict: This is why the Curse of Broken Fangs is pretty terrible for us. PM Rycroft: Benedict: But again, not incurable. PM Josie: I don't understand why you wouldn't just get them fixed. PM Rycroft: Benedict: As I said -- maybe he's mad. PM Rafe: This is determined by your bloodline? PM Nilani: Perhaps he's got another curse on him that will injure him and anyone who tries to remove the curse, if removal is attempted? PM Nilani: Is there such a thing? PM Rycroft: Benedict: It's possible. I'm no great expert on the subject of curses, mind you, I just read enough to be slightly useful on a large variety of topics. PM Rycroft: Benedict: There are those who say that vampirism started out as a curse. PM Rycroft: Benedict: That damned Lugosi picture from a few years back -- that was definitely a curse. PM Josie: Josie snrks. PM Josie: How so? PM Rycroft: Benedict: A lot of young vampires are styling themselves after that version of a vampire. PM Rycroft: Benedict: With the cape and that silly medallion. PM Rafe: I'd take charming and seductive over creepy and monstrous. PM Josie: You're already charming and seductive, Rafe. PM Rafe: I know! I just don't know why you wouldn't go that route as a vampire. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Truth is, there are as many types of vampire as there are types of people. Some people don't change at all when they become a vampire. Some have their traits... amplified when they turn. Some change completely. PM Josie: I hope you don't mind if I ask you a personal question. What happened to you? PM Rycroft: Benedict: I was a merchant prince in Venice. It's... been a long time. I've changed since then. Anyone would. But I don't think I changed when I turned. I was a spoiled, curious kid when I was changed, and I remained so when I was a vampire. PM Rafe: So you're not just... frozen in time at your current ability. You can still learn, change, evolve? PM Rycroft: Benedict: We're still people. PM Rafe: Of course. Apologies. Just... something I'd picked up somewhere. PM Rycroft: Benedict: I just mean -- some people are the same person at 60 that they were in college. Some people change. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Some people, when offered great power and immortality become absolute monsters. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Did you know that in France there's a Monastery and a Convent whose occupants are *only* vampires? PM Josie: Do they bring donors in? PM Rycroft: Benedict: Indeed. Volunteers. They have small support staff of humans. They tend to need very little blood. PM Josie: ... I think I'd rather stay human. PM Rycroft: A guy in a tux comes along and leans over to Benedict, whispering in his ear. PM Rycroft: Benedict makes a face like >_<. PM Rycroft: Benedict: So. There's an issue at the county morgue. PM Josie: What sort of issue? PM Rafe: City hotspot. PM Rycroft: Benedict: This lady that Crispin killed? She just killed five people after she busted out of the drawer she was in. PM Rafe: ....so it transfers even if you're not bitten? PM Nilani: Well then. PM Josie: Vampirism can do that? PM Josie: ... well I expect every vampire who finds out will be hunting them now. PM Rycroft: Benedict: No. See, you don't become a vampire by getting bitten. Or even by being drained. It's more involved than that. PM Josie: So whatever it was, he must have done that as well? PM Rycroft: Benedict: It would seem so. PM Josie: Can you tell us what that is, or is that forbidden somehow? PM Rycroft: Benedict shrugs. "No great secret, but it's a little different for each family. The Fortunadas require the person to be drained off all blood but then fed the blood of the Fortunada. Then, after a few days, the person rises as a vampire. There is a chance it won't work, though, based on how much blood the person is given. So to be sure, a Fortunada most give almost all their blood over to the new vampire. PM Josie: Risky, then. PM Rycroft: Benedict: It usually is. It's not something undertaken lightly. PM Rafe: Think he's holed up somewhere recovering? PM Josie: Where's she? PM Rycroft: Benedict: I don't know. Your witness didn't see him feeding her his blood after he drained her. PM Rycroft: Benedict: I have some people looking for her. PM Rafe: So he must have a reason for bringing her back, right? He sweet on her? Think she's useful somehow? ...or he could just be mad. PM Nilani: Oh dear void. PM Nilani: I hope I'm wrong about this, but... PM Josie: Josie eyes Ella worriedly. PM Nilani: He may have transferred the curse. PM Nilani: His sores closed up when he took blood from her. PM Josie: ... oh. That *would* make sense. Maybe he was trying to get rid of it. PM Rafe: If it was that easy, why'd he wait so long to do it? PM Josie: He might not've known. PM Josie: I mean, you don't just go around reproducing all the time, Rafe, I don't know why you'd think a vampire would. PM Josie: I mean, unless there are a few hudred Rafe juniors out there... PM Rafe: Rafe grins. PM Rycroft: Benedict: He had two victims he drained dry before the girl, though. As far as my people can tell, they remain dead. PM Josie: Maybe to make sure he had enough to give. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Perhaps it's this device he used. PM Josie: Possibly. PM Josie: I think we'll have to rely on you to catch her, unless we can find out where she is ourselves somehow. PM Rycroft: BEnedict nods. "INdeed. But I will keep you apprised of the situation. In the meantime, though... " PM Rycroft: He pulls out a pad and a pen. PM Josie: Phone numbers or a game of hangman? PM Rycroft: Benedict: Can it be both? PM Josie: Josie smiles. PM Josie: Of course. PM Rycroft: He slides a piece of paper over. "This guy I know is a decurser who lives down in Hollywood. His information will not be free." PM Josie: What will he want, most likely? PM Rafe: It never is. PM Josie: ... because I'm running out of hair. PM Rafe: Rafe chuckles. PM Josie: And souls. And firstborn children. PM Josie: And I don't spin straw into gold anymore, either. It's hard on the back. PM Rycroft: Benedict: Money, most likely. PM Josie: That'll be a nice change. PM Rafe: Is he a night-owl? PM Rycroft: Benedict I don't know what kind of hours he keeps. PM Josie: I suppose we could go down there now. PM Rycroft: Benedict: I'd call him first. PM Rafe: And here I was hoping for dinner and drinks. PM Josie: Well, you can stay here and I'll make the call. PM Josie: Josie grabs the bit of paper and goes to make the call! PM Rycroft: Benedict: Feel free to order whatever you'd like, it's on the house. PM Rafe: Thanks. How do you like the business? PM Rycroft: Benedict: Which, the nightclub or the vampire business? PM Rafe: Nightclub. PM Rycroft: Benedict: More stressful than being a vampire at times, but worth it, I think. PM Rycroft: Benedict: You thinking of getting into the business? PM Rafe: I tend not to put down roots anywhere. Just wondering. PM Rycroft: Benedict: You interested in being a vampire? You have some definite fans in here. PM Rycroft: He points to a table where three women are watching Rafe. PM Rafe: Rafe smiles at them. "I don't know. Sounds like more ties." PM Rycroft: Benedict: How do you mean? PM Rafe: These 'families' you have. Sounds like roots. PM Rycroft: Benedict: It's not like a human family. More like... having citizenship. Some of us prefer to stay in contact, others tend to do what they want, go where they want. Changing your name isn't even mandatory. PM Josie: Josie returns. PM Josie: I think he changes his name a lot already. PM Rycroft: Benedict eyes Rafe. "Does he, now?" PM Rafe: This talk about changing is... less than comforting too. PM Josie: Well, he's an actor, don't they get paid to be somebody else? PM Rycroft: Benedict: Doesn't everyone change over time? PM Rafe: Over time, not instantaneously. PM Josie: Oh, by the way, we're expected. PM Josie: I'm afraid we've got to go, Mr. Benedict. Might we have your number in case we find anything out? PM Rycroft: Benedict nods and slides you a business card! "I'll need a number I can reach you at." PM Josie: Josie scrawls Rafe's number on a napkin and hands it to him. PM Josie: Call *any* time. PM Rafe: I suppose we should get going then. PM Nilani: Seems so. PM Josie: ... it's his number. PM Josie: Josie nods at Rafe. PM Rycroft: Benedict nods. "Right. I'll call and let you know if we can figure out where this woman disappeared to." PM Josie: All right, come on. PM Rafe: Wait, what? PM Josie: Josie heads out. PM Josie: I gave him your number. PM Rafe: Good night. PM Rafe: Rafe follows. PM Nilani: Nilani gets up and follows PM Josie: I'm an *unmarried lady*, Rafe, you don't think I go around handing strange men my phone number, do you? PM Josie: Josie drives them to the address where the Decurser is! PM Rafe: I loved the addition of "call *any* time" in that case. PM Rycroft: You find yourself in an office building! PM Josie: I owed you a little trouble. PM Josie: Josie looks for a sign or something! PM Rafe: Getting me back for the cookie comment still? PM Rycroft: There's a little placard in the entrance way, his office is on the third floor. PM Josie: A little bit. PM Josie: Hmm. PM Josie: Josie starts climbing the stairs. PM Nilani: Nilani follows, looking around. PM Rafe: Rafe follows too. PM Josie: I could have made you cluck like a chicken, you know. PM Rafe: Long as you're not still mad, I'll take the jokes. PM Josie: I'm not mad. PM Josie: ... and I'm certain you would have come up with a great line after the clucking that would've had everyone in stitches. PM Rycroft: You find yourself in front of the door! "Reginald Steeland, Decurser, Exorcist, Breaker of Enchantments." PM Rafe: They advertise these things? PM | Edited 6:51:40 PM Nilani: Apparently. PM Rycroft: Picture one of those cliche detective offices in the movies. Door with the frosted glass window with the detective's name painted on it. PM Josie: We're paying an extra 10% to be here right now. PM Josie: Josie knocks. PM Rycroft: It's unlocked! PM Rafe: ...we could've come in the morning. PM Josie: I don't think we should wait. PM Josie: Josie opens the door. PM Rafe: What do you call a chicken crossing the road? PM Josie: A dumb cluck? PM Rafe: Poultry in motion. PM Josie: Josie snrks. PM Rycroft: There's a bored looking older woman as a secretary with too much perfume reading a magazine. PM Josie: Ma'am? I just called about helping with a curse removal? PM Rycroft: Secretary: That's right. Have a seat, please, Mr. Steeland with a client right now. CAn I get you some coffee? PM Josie: Yes, please, if it's not too much trouble. PM Rycroft: Secretary: Nah. I was gonna make some for myself anyway. You mind if I turn the radio on? PM Josie: Go ahead. PM Rycroft: She turns on some of that awful big band music that's rotting the brains of the youth. PM Josie: Josie smiles. She likes having a rotten brain, apparently! PM Rycroft: The secretary goes into a backroom for coffee, leaving you in the waiting room with the potted plant. PM Nilani: Nilani idly plays with her shadows. PM Rafe: Why'd the rooster cross the road? PM Nilani: Nilani forms her shadows into an image of a rooster in the process of crossing a road. He doesn't seem to be making any progress... PM Rafe: To cock-a-doodle-doooo something. PM Josie: Josie snrks. PM Nilani: Nilani has a tiny shadow-person with a drum set on her shoulder. It does a silent "ba dum tss". PM Rafe: Well, you wanted chicken jokes. PM Rafe: Rafe laughs. PM Josie: I accept your tribute, O minion. PM | Edited 7:14:42 PM Rycroft: "We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming with some breaking news!" The tinny, nasally voice of the newsman cuts off the music. "Terror at the county morgue! Five employees lie dead after a rampage that one living eyewitness, unharmed but delirious, swears that one of the bodies burst from it's confines like a wild beast." PM Josie: .... oh dear. PM Nilani: Welp. PM Rafe: Nothing new, though. PM Rycroft: "The police are currently conducting a thorough search of the neighborhood this 'creature' -- formally a deceased young woman -- disappeared in. Police urge listeners to stay in their homes. We will be back with further updates. And now, back to the music." PM Josie: Poor girl. PM Rycroft: The secretary comes back with coffee. "What did I miss?" PM Josie: Not much. PM Josie: I think there was an accident at the morgue. PM Rycroft: Secretary: What kind of accident? PM Josie: It doesn't sound like they know. PM Rycroft: The door opens, and a guy in a rumbled suit comes out, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "What's going on, Vera?" PM Rycroft: Secretary: Your appointment is here, Mr. Steeland. PM Rafe: Must have been a tough meeting. PM Rycroft: Steeland grunts and moves over to where the coffee is. He is super-grizzled. PM Josie: Mm. I hear you know a lot about decursing. PM Rycroft: Steeland: Honey, I know everything about decursing. PM Rycroft: Steeland: Need someone to free you from your Curse of Unfathomable Beauty? PM Rafe: ...is that what I sound like? PM Josie: A little bit worse. PM Josie: You, I mean, not him. PM Rafe: *I'm* worse? PM Rycroft: He comes over and holds out his hand to Josie. "I'm Reginald Steeland. What can I do for you folks?" PM Josie: Josie smiles. PM Josie: Mainly we want information. Have you decursed or tried to decurse a vampire lately? One with a ... Curse of Sores, I think? PM Rycroft: Everyone roll a d10! PM Josie: ((7!)) PM Rafe: ((4.)) PM Nilani: (( 6 )) PM Josie: Know anything at all about that? PM Rycroft: Steeland: Curse of Sores? Lemme check my records real quick. Come in to my office. PM Josie: Mmm. I don't think you have to check your records. PM Josie: Do you? PM Rycroft: He sighs. PM Rycroft: Steeland: All right, come on, let's go. PM Rafe: Rafe raises an eyebrow. PM Josie: He knows exactly what we're talking about. PM Josie: ... well you don't need to be a mindreader to tell that. PM Rycroft: He closes his door behind you guys. PM Josie: Josie folds her arms and sips her coffee. PM Rycroft: Steeland: He was a client, okay? Came to me and I did what I do -- broke a curse or put him on the path to breaking it. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Rafe: And this one involved infecting someone else to get rid of it? PM Rycroft: Steeland: This guy-- Fortunada, came to me about a week ago. I've never seen a guy with so many curses. PM Josie: How many did he actually *have*? PM Rycroft: Steeland: He had at least 30. PM Nilani: Yikes. PM Josie: ... that's awful, why on earth? PM Rafe: Must be popular. PM Josie: *Why* did he have so many? PM Josie: And what did you have him do? PM Rycroft: Steeland: ... here's the thing about curses. They're not just spells. They're... more like diseases. Viruses. It's like... they're a tiny bit alive. PM Rycroft: Steeland points at Ella. "If I put a spell on you to give you the head of a horse, that's what the spell is for. That's what it does. Me telling reality 'this girl's head is now a horse's head, got it'? And of course there are counterspells for that kind of magic, and it's easy, because all you have to do to counterspell that is remind reality that 'wait, no, that's not how things work.' PM Rycroft: Steeland: And you have your own head back. PM Rycroft: Steeland: well... degrees of easy, anyway. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Nilani: I assume curses are trickier. PM Josie: Go on. PM Nilani: By several orders of magnitude. PM Rycroft: Steeland: Yeah. A curse can change, evolve. Anything to cling to its purpose. PM Rycroft: Steeland: This vampire guy... he had thirty curses. The earliest ones are hundreds of years old. PM Rycroft: Steeland: ... a really old curse can almost take on a life of its own. It can change. After a very long time, it might figure out that the best way to cling to the person who was cursed was to offer... benefits. PM Rafe: Wait, so curses eventually turn into blessings? PM Rycroft: Steeland: 'Hey, sorry about that whole thing where I made you blind forever. As compensation, you can make any woman fall helplessly in love with you just by talking to them.' PM Rycroft: Steeland: Or some such. PM Josie: ... bizarre. PM Rycroft: Steeland: Many people think that this is where vampirism comes from -- a curse that's been around for so long it's taken on a life of its own. PM Rafe: Rafe smirks. "That could be a curse itself." PM Rycroft: Steeland: This Fortunada guy -- he didn't want to get rid of most of his curses. Just the ones that were making life miserable. But they were so interconnected, growing and evolving and changing. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Josie: What did you do? PM Rycroft: Steeland: I couldn't. It might have been possible to get rid of all of them, but not to pick and choose like he wanted. Told him the only thing he could do is transfer the unwanted curses to someone else. PM Nilani: Welp. PM Rycroft: Steeland: ... but I didn't think it was possible. PM Rycroft: Steeland: Till he called me this morning and said 'thank you'. PM Rafe: Did you tell him how? PM Josie: .... but that's *good*. Isn't it? PM Josie: We could bring the poor girl here and have you remove all of them. PM Rycroft: Steeland: What girl? PM Rafe: The girl that killed five people at the morgue after Fortunada killed her. PM Rycroft: Steeland: Well, shit. Pardon my french, ladies. PM Josie: What were the *bad* curses that he wanted to get rid of, exactly? PM Josie: Well, probably the vampires will take care of *him.* PM Josie: If you're especially helpful we can probably ensure they don't also take care of *you.* PM Rycroft: Steeland: Curse of Sores, Curse of Broken Fangs. Curse of the Moon, I think, too. PM Josie: The Moon, what's that one do? PM Rycroft: Steeland: Drives you mad depending on the phase of the moon. PM Josie: ... wonderful. PM Josie: What else? PM Rycroft: Steeland: He had thirty, many of them evolved and bred together to the point where I couldn't recognize them. The ones he wanted to get rid of were more recent, so they weren't as connected to the rest of them. Of course, if he found a way to pass his curses on, there's no telling what else got dragged with the ones he wanted to get rid of. PM Josie: ... great. Do you remember any of the others? PM Rycroft: Steeland: He had curses that offered him strength, speed, power, all that stuff, in exhange for what I'm sure are now minor inconviences at worst. PM | Edited 8:31:18 PM Nilani: Lovely. PM Rafe: You might want to talk to whoever's giving out curses and tell them it's not really working. They should probably not do that anymore. PM Josie: Agreed. PM Josie: ... is there a way we can use the curses to find the girl? PM Rycroft: STeeland: Yeah, right, I'll pass the word around. No more curses, guys. PM Rafe: Well if a guy makes me mad enough to curse him, I'd rather it didn't give him superpowers later on in his *immortal* life. PM Josie: He does remove curses for a living, Rafe. PM Rycroft: Steeland: Hindsight is 20/20. PM Josie: You could just encourage them to make less tangly curses. Anyway. PM Josie: Is there a way to use the curses to find her? PM Rycroft: Steeland: Maybe. I'm just not sure how he moved them to her. PM Josie: Some sort of gadget.